Unique focus knob Steinheil Munchen Orthostigmat 35mm F4.5
A review and Photo example of the Steinheil Munchen Orthostigmat 35mm F4.5 VL.
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Table of contents
Gallery
The sample photo were taken with the LEICA M9
Review
1．Overview
The Steinheil Munich Orthostigmat 35mm F4.5 is a lens designed, manufactured, and sold by the German optical manufacturer Steinheil for its CASCA II camera.This lens was sold with the mount changed to a Leica L39 screw.
- A detailed description of the Casca 2 can be found in “Camera Review Classic Camera Specialty No. 45Leica-type cameras of the world.”
The lens has two spheres attached to a helicoid as the focus ring knob, and when viewed from the front it resembles that mascot in dreamland. However, it’s not as big as his ears.
It was my mistake not to include the distinctive appearance when I took the exterior photo, but if you search on the internet you can find images, so please refer to them.
2．Usability
I attached the Steinheil Munchen Orthostigmat 35mm f/4.5 to a Leica M9 via an L/M adapter and shot with it. It worked with the rangefinder, and moving the focus ring by holding the aforementioned tab wasn’t particularly difficult.
As for the image quality, despite its luxurious four-group, six-element configuration, this lens is slow at f/4.5, so I expected sharp images across the entire frame even at full aperture, but there was a significant difference in image quality between the focal plane and its periphery.
Some reviews mention vignetting, but when used with the Leica M9, I didn’t notice much vignetting. I was more concerned with the lackluster image quality in the out-of-focus periphery.
The front frame of this lens has a 36.5mm thread, but because the thread is recessed, it’s difficult to use a standard filter. This special filter frame is used on the Leica Summitar 50mm. Therefore, the 36.5mm to 39mm conversion ring released for the Summitar 50mm can be used directly. By attaching this, you can use standard 39mm filters and lens hoods with this lens. I used the 39mm screw-on hood for the final release of the Elmar 50mm f/2.8 because it fit perfectly. I recall there being no obstruction to the edges.
The lens comes with a dedicated 35mm viewfinder, but this is a remnant of the time when the original CASA II did not have a 35mm viewfinder frame. Since the standard 35mm viewfinder frame on M-series Leica cameras is sufficient, this external viewfinder isn’t really an essential accessory. While the small, rectangular viewfinder doesn’t look very appealing when you look through it, it adds to the camera’s styling.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the Steinheil Munchen Orthostigmat 35mm F4.5, it has the characteristic of an older lens, with good image quality in the center but poor image quality at the edges. The flare that appears in the sample image is likely due to lens fogging.
Specification
Although it doesn’t seem to be manufactured in large numbers, it is not very expensive and is a relatively common lens on the used market. The reason for this is thought to be that it is a dark lens with a large F value for a lens with a focal length of 35mm.
This is easy to understand by taking Canon’s 35mm rangefinder lens as an example as of 2024. The bright lens 35mm F1.5 costs over 400,000 yen, but the slightly darker 35mm F2 costs less than 100,000 yen. And 35mm F3.5 can be purchased for tens of thousands of yen.
This is an example of how the brightness of a lens’ aperture F-number is directly linked to its price.
The same goes for Leica’s 35mm lenses, where the price hierarchy is determined by brightness: Summilux > Summicron > Summaron > Elmar. As expected, the latest Apo Summicron is more expensive than the Summilux, but the M mount Apo series is considered to be a special lens.
| Lens name | Orthostigmat | ELMAR |
| Focal length(mm) | 35 | ← |
| Max aperture | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Min aperture | 16 | 18 |
| Leaf blade numbers | 6 | 6 |
| Lens Construction | 6elements in 4groups | 4elements in 3groups |
| Min distance(m) | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Lens length(mm) | – | 14 |
| Max diameter(mm) | – | 48 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 36.5 | 19 |
| Weight(g) | – | 130 |
| Release date | 1945 | 1930 |
Reference links
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Update history
- 2024.04.26
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